Author: kezha1

The Lord is our just Ruler. “He will judge the needy with righteousness.” (Isaiah 11:4) James 4:12 tells us that, “There is only one lawgiver and judge.”…His name is the Lord. Psalm 89:18 goes on to tell us that we have but one King, the Holy One of Israel. Finally, the Lord is our Savior and Deliverer. So we can rejoice in confidence that, “Surely this is our God; we trusted in Him, and He saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in Him; let us rejoice and be glad in His Salvation.” (Isaiah 25:9)

God desires our covenant faithfulness and loyalty…not mere ritual. He is much more concerned with the attitudes of our hearts than in all the self-serving, showy, and established ceremonies we perform. For what God really values is our intimate relationship with Him more than all the rites we can think up to do in His honor. That’s because, they mean nothing to Him if we’re simply going through the motions without even thinking about what we’re saying or doing.

There is fullness of joy in the indwelling Presence of the Holy Spirit, and this Psalm teaches us that it’s our trust & faith that ushers that joy in. Right before He left the earth, Jesus told His disciples to tarry in Jerusalem for the promised Holy Spirit…and so on the Day of Pentecost, Peter addressed the gathering crowd by quoting David who said, “I saw the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” (Acts 2: 25-28) This joy we have is because the Holy Spirit unites us with God… so that His love is not only demonstrated in us, but that we can become one with Him in exactly the same way Jesus was.

We should come to God trusting and expecting His response…but what if He doesn’t answer in a way we desire? First we must realize that God will only give things that are good for us in the light of eternity and always in accordance to His Will. It says we are to ask, but our asking cannot be out of selfish desire for our own self-fulfillment, for God refuses to grant our petitions when they are from evil impulses. (James 4:3) Next we are told to seek… but this requires a wholehearted focus and not with a complacent or indifferent heart and mind. Finally, we are to knock on that closed door…checking our motivation in humility and even desperation…just like the thief hanging next to Jesus on the Cross…for it very easily could be us there.

In John 6:16-21, we see the disciples crossing the Sea of Galilee by night to reach Capernaum. The wind picks up and the water becomes rough, when suddenly Jesus appears walking on the angry waves. But as soon as they allow Him into the boat, the sea becomes calm and they directly reach the shore where they were headed. Now it would be wonderful if we could pick and choose the storms that will come into our life…but we can’t. But we can choose Who will be in the boat with us.

A delegation of Jews had come from Bethel inquiring whether it was still necessary to fast in mourning for the destruction of the Temple since it was now being rebuilt…only showing they were entirely missing the point. Yes, it had been 70 years, contends Zechariah, but their fasting had now become just for show and self-interest rather than to please God. In other words, the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple was just a distant memory and had taught them nothing. So Zechariah again called them back to obedience to God…for their formal worship had become mere lip-service. By the way, Zechariah did answer their question in Chapter 8:18-19, whether they needed to continue to fast or not with an empathic Yes!

Waiting…it’s remaining at rest in readiness or expectation of something. In the delivery room, you wait for that newborn to take its first breath…and at the other end of life’s spectrum, you wait for your loved one to breathe their final one. But waiting patiently is hard and painful and we’re not good at it. But Psalm 37:7 is very clear, “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him.” And until we can realize that our waiting or resting in the Lord isn’t dependent on our external circumstances but on our relationship with Him, our waiting will be fraught with fear, anxiety, and apprehension. For rolled up in this word “wait” is the hope and confidence that God’s Divine Will will be done at exactly the right moment, in exactly the right way, and with all the kindness and mercy He has to bestow.

I found it yesterday on the kitchen floor, though I had no idea how it got there. It was a safety pin lying on the tile floor…but I knew immediately what it meant. It was God’s way of reminding me once again that He was present and would hold me together no matter what. And boy, did I need that not so subtle reminder! This Scripture is also an excellent reminder of the all-sufficiency and supremacy of our Lord… Creator, Redeemer, and moment-by-moment Sustainer of the universe…Whose power holds not only the vast Cosmos together, but us.

Ecclesiastes 8:7 tells us that no man knows the future, and that can be very scary at times. We want to know what lies ahead, but the road is shrouded in darkness and confusion. But there is one thing we do know and that is God’s promises. In I Timothy 6:18-19, Paul calls it the future hope of Believers… and its that hope in God and His promises that can anchor us in the middle of the unknown today. For Proverbs 23:18 comforts us with this, “There is surely a future hope for you and your hope will not be cut off.”… When our faith and trust is in the Lord.

Yesterday we had a different Hospice Nurse come to see my dad. Her name was Sarah and in talking to her I knew right away that she was a Christian. Since she didn’t know anything about dad, we spent time talking about his journey on Hospice and where he physically was that day. As we walked back to his bedroom so she could do her Nursing Assessment, she said one of the most kindest things to me…”As soon as I walked into this house I could feel great peace like a bubble within this place. Your father is very lucky to be in such a loving & peaceful environment.” I praise God for His kindness & mercy that people can sense the peace that passes all understanding…but I also thank all of you that have prayed, for your prayers are being answered. God is good, all the time.